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of 6 to 9 inches of topsoil be replaced on the regraded spoil. Topsoil depths were checked in ten locations at the site on July 21, 1995. The average replacement depth of all locations was found to be in compliance with the approved reclamation plan, and therefore meets the requirement of Section 3.03.1(2)(b). I~~getation Success The approved Meadows No. 1 Mine permit application specifies that vegetative cover on the portion of the pit area owned by the Eiltses must be adequate to control erosion. Sun Coal Company had an analysis of the vegetation on the Eilts property done in August 1994. At that time, the live vegetative cover of the area was estimated to be 42.3%. Litter accounted for an additional 30.4% of ground cover, leaving 27.3% of bare ground. 1994 was an extremely dry year. Vegetative cover on this area in the years following the study appeared to equal or exceed the 1994 cover, based on observations made during bond release inspections. Vegetative cover on this part of the mine is provided by nearly equal portions of grasses and forbs. Dominant grasses are Pubescent wheatgrass (Agropyron tricophorum), Smooth brome (Bromus rnermis), Sheep fescue (Festuca ovina), Thickspike wheatgrass (A. dasystachyum), and Timothy (Ph[eum pratensis). Dominant forbs are Cicer Milkvetch (Astragalus Cicer) and alfalfa (Medicago saliva). These are perennial species, all of which appeared to be fairly vigorous and were producing seed. The grasses and alfalfa are capable of supporting grazing on the reclaimed area. All of these species will help to control erosion. Erosion and De os At the Meadows No. 1 Mine, there is no available baseline data regarding pre-mine sediment contribution. Adjacent non-mined areas are inordinately dissimilar in vegetative type. Non-mined areas are characterized by a dense cover of shrubs, with sparse grass and forb understory and thick ground litter. The pit area, at the request of the landowner and with the approval of this Division and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, has been reclaimed for use as rangeland, commercial, and recreational areas with no requirement for a shrub component. Vegetation on the reclaimed areas consists mainly of grasses, rendering comparisons of the two areas questionable. On August 20, 1995, June 20, 1996, and September 18, 1996, the Division conducted site inspections for the purpose of determining the soil stability of reclaimed areas. The reclaimed pit areas were examined during all three inspections, and the Sage/Grass Vegetation Reference Area and an adjacent non-mined area were examined during the 1995 inspection. The Division observed that most of the reclaimed area had an adequate cover of vegetation and litter to effectively preclude any significant loss of soil from the reclaimed area. Erosion had occurred in the Bast on portions of the reclaimed area with lesser vegetative cover, but there is little evidence of ongoing soil movement in these areas at this time. Supporting this finding is the low frequency of observed soil pedestals, Meadows No. 1 Mine 6 Phase Ill Bond Release